When I became a Blackbaudian, I also became a blogger. In honor of Throwback Thursdays, I thought I’d take a trip down memory lane and share some of my favorite posts with you. I’m kicking off #TT with fashion and fundraising. If you’ve joined me for a webinar, attended one of my conference sessions or simply asked me a question – you know I love a metaphor.

A Lesson from Coco Chanel

Are you wondering what Coco Chanel has to do with fundraising? By now, you’ve probably learned that I like to relate fundraising to a variety of topics from football to dieting, so why not fashion?

Coco Chanel is famous for saying, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and remove one accessory.” Over accessorizing is a no-no. I think this same thought can be applied to websites and emails. Have you fallen into the fundraising accessory trap? It’s where you feel you need to include every bit of information on your website or in your emails?

I have. It’s hard because when it comes to events there’s lots of information to relay. But, consider this… sometimes by including too much information we’re distracting the reader or visitor from taking the desired action.

Here’s my new technique for emails. Once you’ve created your email and you’re ready to hit send: Stop. Walk away from your computer, go talk with a co-worker or grab a cup of tea or coffee and then come back to your email with fresh eyes. Ask yourself:

What is the purpose of this email?

Who is my audience?

Is the call to action easily identifiable?

When we write an email there’s usually a purpose. We’re not just sending an email just to send an email. We also need to consider that while we want the recipient to read the entire email, they’re probably not. Today most individuals tend to be scanners. It’s important to create emails that an individual can easily scan and can quickly discern what you want them to do. Instead of sending one huge email filled with lots of information, how about breaking it up into a couple different messages?

What do you think? We’ve talked football, dieting, and fashion. What’s next? How about fundraising is like dating?

In honor of #TT and sharing fun photos; I think we can all say I definitely over accessorized in this one. These days I always take Coco’s advice and remove an accessory before leaving the house.